The battle for the All-Japan Super Formula Championship is officially underway, and it was Ritomo Miyata laying down the early benchmark. Driving for Kuo VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S, Miyata topped the opening practice session at Fuji Speedway with a lap of 1.21.822, edging out the rest of the field in a dramatic late-session flurry.
Running took place under clear spring skies with Mount Fuji in view, though gusty winds swept across the circuit and created a slight headwind down the straight. Teams faced much warmer conditions than the recent pre-season tests, with track temperatures rising to 29°C at the start before dropping to 26°C as the sun began to dip. The 90-minute session also served as a proving ground for new weekend procedures, giving drivers a chance to test the 20-second overtake system during the first 30 minutes, followed by trials for the yellow-flashing Qualifying Light (Q light) system designed to signal a car on a flying lap.
Right from the lights, the times tumbled as drivers evaluated their setups. 福住仁嶺 (ThreeBond Drago CORSE), ジュリアーノ・アレジ (Kuo VANTELN TEAM TOM’S), 佐藤蓮 (TEAM GOH), and 山本尚貴 (TCS NAKAJIMA RACING) opted for used rubber initially, while others bolted on fresh tires straight away. Miyata was quick to show his hand, jumping into the 1m22s bracket just seven minutes in with a 1m22.505. The times continued to drop as 坪井翔 (P.MU/CERUMO･INGING), 山下健太 (KONDO RACING), and 関口雄飛 (carenex TEAM IMPUL) all took turns near the top of the monitor.
As the session crossed its midpoint, 牧野任祐 (DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING) grabbed the top spot with a 1m22.152. Rookie 三宅淳詞 (TEAM GOH) also made a strong impression, climbing to fifth with a 1m22.450. Entering the final 20 minutes, 笹原右京 (TEAM MUGEN) and サッシャ・フェネストラズ (KONDO RACING) both found extra pace, with Fenestraz briefly climbing to the summit on a 1m22.060.
With just seven minutes remaining, 松下信治 (B-Max Racing Team) led a mass exodus of cars onto fresh tires for a final qualifying simulation. Amid heavy traffic in sector three, Miyata extracted the ultimate speed from his machine with just one minute left on the clock, dropping into the 1m21s with his 1m21.822 lap. Makino responded just before the checkered flag to secure second with a 1m21.979, while Fenestraz slotted into third with a 1m21.996.
When the dust settled on the opening session, Miyata reigned supreme over Makino and Fenestraz. 大津弘樹 (DOCOMO TEAM DANDELION RACING) claimed fourth after improving with two and a half minutes remaining, followed by 野尻智紀 (TEAM MUGEN), 関口, 笹原, and Yamashita, who opted out of a final late run. With Toyota and Honda runners tightly packed throughout the timing sheets, the stage is set for a fiercely contested qualifying battle under shifting conditions.
